Khajuraho

Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture. The Khajuraho group of monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Khajuraho, ancient “Kharjuravāhaka”, is derived from the Sanskrit words kharjura = date palm and vāhaka = “one who carries”.

The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone. The builders didn’t use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.

These temples of Khajuraho have sculptures that look very realistic and are studied even today.

The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.

The Khajuraho temples do not contain sexual or erotic art inside the temple or near the deities; however, some external carvings bear erotic art. They portray that, for seeing the deity, one must leave his or her sexual desires outside the temple.

Some 10% of the carvings contain sexual themes; those reportedly do not show deities, they show sexual activities between people. The rest depict the everyday life of the common Indian of the time when the carvings were made, and of various activities of other beings. For example, those depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians, potters, farmers, and other folk.

Khajuraho temple complex offers a well-made light and sound show every evening. The first show is in English language and the second one in Hindi. The show is about an hour long and covers the history, philosophy and the art of sculpting of these temples. It is held in the open lawns in the temple complex.

The Khajuraho Dance Festival, held every year in February/March, is an opportunity for visitors to experience various classical Indian dances set against the backdrop of the Chitragupta or Vishwanath Temples.

Many have doubts why in some of the Indian Temples, places of holy worship, erotic sculptures are depicted outside the Temple. Here it is very clearly indicated, suggested, advised, It is very difficult, in fact impossible to be without six enemies of humans, so called ‘arishadvargas’ particularly kama, the very root cause of our birth. Lotus takes birth in a pond containing impounded water with weeds, can it be without that water in it, though it looks so beautiful. At least during the period we are inside a temple with reverance to the deity of worship we need to keep these ‘enemies’ outside us.

IT IS UP TILL DATE A MYSTERY , AS TO WHY SUCH EXPLOTING SCLUPTURES WERE GOT MADE BY ANY OF ANCIENT KING. WHAT WAS THAT TIME OF “CULTURE” . LOOKING TO THESE SOME TIMES IT APPEAR THAT PRESENT TIME IS MUCH BETTER , SO FAR AS SOCIAL REQUIREMENTS ARE CONCERNED. ULTIMATELY WHAT WAS NECCESITY OF SUCH …………….ON THE WALLS OF A “TEMPLE” .
FURTHER AS TO WHY THIS PLACE IS NOMINATED AS KHAJURAHO TEMPLE.
MAY PLEASE TRY TO SEARCH REPLY OF SUCH HIDDEN QUESTIONS , BECOZ THERE WOULD DEFINITELY BE SOME BASE REASON BEHIND ALL THIS.
THANKS AND REGARDS.
P.K.SHARMA

Word temple should be detached. These are pieces of art and culture.Name them which ment for art, culture, life and so on. Temple are for worship and these should be free from all such things which diverts the attention of a man from worship to anything else. No one in the world has a mind free from sex. If any one has, he is not a common man, he must be above all and he creats this world and man creats these sculptures and MEN can never be equal to CREATER.

The stone carvings are the real witness of the capacity of our artists to make a poetry out of stones.Even our Belur,Halebeedu & Hampi in KARNATAKA too equally have these type of master piece stone carvings.Hats off to the artists and their patrons.

Mr.Nagaraj, your reply is only explains why it is not on internal walls; kept just on outer walls.

The basic is only sex; being considered as worship – from whore only worship had come. This will explain why we have devadasi in temples. Temples are only meant for such activities. A whore has written your fate – thats is horoscope (whoroscope). Always female is the deity and male. Later period has given male as suprior, so on.

A good attempt to graph the beauty in film. There were many subject to be photographed. Why this sexual sculptures are made previously and photograhed presently. Because it lives in all of us. Penence and lust are the twin sides of life. One bring us from etenity to beautiful life and the other lead us from the dutyful life to eternity. With out one the other cant withstand. Out antient fore fathers knew it well.
I congraudualte you for the endure you have made in this line. Thank you for furnishing such a piece of beauty. P.K.Gopinathan

Childhood marriages were very much prevalent in olden days ,more over in order to educated the elementary truth of life,sex and marital relationship to the young ones their parents often induced the newly wedded couple to visit these temples for healthy sexual life and and fulfillment of purposeful married life to get good and healthy pro genies. In the later period these were given a vulgar and vicarious depictions and exhibition for carnal pleasures of human life. This is a sad part of our social background which is portrayed for a wrong end which is not a healthy sign.

Sex has to be taken as reverence. It should not be considered as tool of enjoyment. There is nothing wrong in calling it as TEMPLE. Our ancient people had good foresight. The world at large is appreciating Indian Culture. I rise and appreciate the meaning, art & culture depicted in Khajurao Temples. The light and sound show is also great and tells us the story of Temple. Wish I could visit again.

Great artists created wonderful poses of human beings. Imagine how difficult poses put into reality. Requires immense imaginations in mind and carve the same. Into the rock keeping an eye on the sizes. Many of these artists exist today in India without having two meals a day. God gifted hands are not utilized by our Democratic Government. Something has to be done to these artists by creating more and more stone carvings by government of India of our historic hetitage

Please detach the word “Temple” from the name of this place. The word Temple is used for a place where anybody can reach to an intellectual spirituality. But here we are pushed to change our mind to behave as well as the Modern Blue Film shows. And then it influence to our minds to think this behavior is Customary and Nobel.

Please detach the word “Temple” from the name of this place. The word Temple is used for a place where anybody can reach to an intellectual spirituality. But here we are pushed to change our mind to behave as well as the Modern Blue Film shows. And then it influence to our minds to think this behavior is Customary and Nobel.

Many people have doubts like why in the walls of temples with great hard work, erotic sculptures have been sculpted. I would like to share my view according to my knowledge and recent research.

Indian culture has many hidden meanings too. Big temples were built and people went around the temples 3 times which would become a great morning walk. In this surroundings, people were becoming a part of sex education walking along through these sculptures. In India sex is considered sacred.

The temple architecture consists of all types of wars, soldiers, men’s dresses, women, why all. The epic MAHABHARAT also gives all subjects. Thus every Indian should know everything on this earth,including sex.Why shd any have doubt with sex? Regard it as a master piece and learn the art, if u do not know it. 90% people do not know the sex act well.What’s wrong in knowing sex in full. I recommend every man and woman to know. Grateful to the artists who have depicted them in detail.

What is shiva linga ?? Surrounding by the round yoni of goddess parvati?? its the origin of life. We pour water, milk , etc to cool the linga.. to reduce the heat and for peace…. sex is the part of life… and nothing is vulgar if taken positively and faithfully..lets enjoy.. the hindu.. thinking so forward before years and years ago…. salute…

The Reason why there are erotic scluptures in the temples is in ancient times there were no newspaper editions related to SEX. So a mother to explain to her daughter ther she has to do such things during her first night with her husband, she brings her daughter to the temple and shows all these scluptures and explains what she has to do during her first night with her husband. This is the main reason who there were erotic scluptures in the temples
Hope this helps

The sculptures are too romantic. But there is a hidden question “WHY” this kind of sexual action had used in this temple…..???? Weather that is the culture of those days or the person who contributed to construct these sculptures has forecasted or that is a thing which he interested in………..?????

The writings and sculptures of ancient India as depicted in KHAJURAHO
should be seen as man’s outlet for his beautiful thoughts/visions. No one can deny the fact that sex is a vital action indispensable for the existence of humans. Millenniums may pass by but man remains the same homosapien. Ancient kings and rulers had the audacity to display this basic instinct as sculpture in Temples because that was the only place where the general public could gather on occasions.SIMPLY MARVELOUS!

indians accostomed to follow the practices of west and are not capable of appreciating the genius of indians. now adays people argue for sex education in schools. but our ancients have done this in the form of art on the walls of temples, which are the places frequently visited by people. so that they can get educated by these pictures in the field of sex. atleast people should try to appreiciate the good things done by our elders.

Hinduim has root in sexual happiness as it is clearly evident in the worshiping of Siva Lingam.
Olden days it was considered as holy, that is why we had the Deva dasi system which i hear still prevails in Karnatake and Kerala borders. Sanbandham ( approved relations ) by the nampoodhiris ( brahmins ) with the lower caste.
Osho rajaneesh too advocated the same.
Every temple has Siva Lingam which is the base of Hinduim.
At present, educated hindus want to show that these are not the basic as they feel shy and confused and dont want to accept the facts.

The beautiful pictures are wall sculptures on one of 49 temples that used to be in the area. My professor explained to me that these sculptures which are only about 2 ft tall, were made for the instruction of newly married who would visit the temple. As far as I remember the temple was for Arjun of the Pandavas.

There are 2 theories explaining why the temples have such erotic images on them. They are:
1) Around 1000 AD (when these temples were supposed to be built), Buddhism was predominant, hence people were becoming more ‘Bhikkus’ & subseqently away from reproduction of human race. To bring them back to their ‘duties’ & onwards back to Hinduism, such temples at Khajuraho, Konark etc were sculpted.
2) Another theory states that it was done to protect the temples from bolts of Lightening falling on temple as ‘Vidyut’ is a virgin & it will not fall on such sculptures due to modesty!

The best possible way of teaching the Kama Sutra to the common man. The sutras defined by way of beautifully carved sculptures to give the feeling of ecstasy and learning simultaneously.

In the past temples were the places where almost everybody visited and hence these were places where the art of Kama could be displayed on sculptures and the visitors could learn the art in a disciplined manner due the spiritual bent of mind while being in the Temple.

Wowwww!!!excellent stone carving.I’m really excited becoz I’m going to visit this site in the month of October during the Puja holidays.I’ve also visited the sun temple of Konark two times.Hope to get the same pleasure in visiting Khajuraho as I felt in visiting Konark.Thanks for the beautiful photoes.

its awesome.Its a message to the ancient people where there were no other medias.Most important thing is the art the sculpture has.Wonderful….amazing………its all in the eyes of the beholder. thx for presenting it.

Wow, what a temple and its carvings, amazing, to sculpt them in those days which a chisel and hammer and that too in those lovely poses is simply amazing and hats off to the great hands. Go with an open mine and enjoy it as a piece of art and I am sure you will respect them as much as you respect yourself to know more and to ehense your knowledge. I must go in my next holidays is what I have deceided.

i see lot of people here complaining about the “erotic” imagery and the association of word temple with it, i just wish them to consider this,
God has provided us with KAAM,if used only with the intention of LUST, KAAM leads to MOH, LOBH, AHANKAAR, which further unfulfilled becomes KRODH, destroying the individual and the human society.
those who constructed these monuments were not plain foolish to paint them with erotic imagery, they wanted to convey a message, KAAM has to be restrained put to good use to lead a fruitful family life, but even outside when you are indulged in KAAM, inside there must only be RAM,
so there is not a single erotic idol inside the temple.
people come with lust and see these imageries on the outside, but they are not interested in going inside because thers is not a single erotic image inside, and yet chant pornography pornography.

The act of human intercourse is one of the powers “downloaded” from the Divine for purposes of human survival on this plane. It is, in fact, a sacred rite. It is a sacred act of souls who unite from the heart to reproduce the Word to Pro-create in the name of the Supreme Being. There is a designated time and place for this copulation designed to produce the best result. or, one may call it the best breed of humans to dwell on this planet. MAY THE BLESSINGS BE!

I think people need the sex.Without sex we can not live. Man need women and women need man for sex. This is not wrong thing. God has made us this type. This photoes have clearly showed how can do the sex.

The carvings are beautiful creation of artists of those days. Apart from Kama postures, other hues are also depicted. Why single out this KAMA aspect and say that this should be removed. The person or person who say that are the result of such act. Will they say that the persons who are responsible for his being here on earth should also be removed as they have done something heinous.

Now, with the communication, print, audio, video, we need no sex education.. so let us appreciate these things as work of art.

i do not mind your publishing my email id.people are in deep blind beliefs that sex is sin.they are fools.if we had no amorous pleasures this generations wouldn’t have survived at all.ancient people had great adoration for sex and its pleasures.i have great pleasure in it and i enjoy it with my sublime lust for sex and life.there are rock poetries in khajuraho that depicts lesbian love and doggie style fucking and girls sucking dicks too.ancient people had no inhibition to do amorous actions and say this openly.we have fake chastity and love too.we scold others for doing such things.

Sex…. is required to preserve the human species. it has been controlled, regulated and dignified. there is nothing more beautiful and peaceful in this world then having sex with your consentual partner.I agree and Dear Mr J singh His concern too its 100% acceptable ,Sex is giving more peace to human soul not money wealth or any other resources .

Sex is a reality, some keep it hidden some have the guts to reveal. The craftsmanship at these heights is amazing and credible. I wont call it erotic or porno, these are facts of life since time immemorial.

as per my knowledge in encient times gurus made their pupils(shishyas) to meditate outside, in frontside of those erotic poses, when they overcomed their desires, only then they were allowed to go in the temple to meditate and reach the ultimate goal of being to god.thatswhy there are no such sculptures inside the temple.

What is shiva linga ?? Surrounding by the round yoni of goddess parvati?? its the origin of life. We pour water, milk , etc to cool the linga.. to reduce the heat and for peace…. sex is the part of life… and nothing is vulgar if taken positively and faithfully..lets enjoy.. the hindu.. thinking so forward before years and years ago….

Why Sculptures of Sex?
Khajuraho, a great Indian Culture carved without Engineering Drgs. proves India is great. There were a few historical presentations in Khajuraho.

Prior to this Temple construction, there was a war took place and these Kings won. But many soldiers are died. The reproduction problem has become severe. then kings might have thought provoking the inner zeal and lust the race can be reestablished like vyasa for Kouravas in Maha Bharat.

Other reason could be: Then Buddha is having huge No. of followers. To stop people by opening the interest in Sex; These provoking sculpture on temples have been made.

However it is our great engineering designs. it is our responsibility to protect them.

as per my knoledge in ancient days teachers{guru} took thier students{shishya} to these temples for meditation.but to overcome earthly desires were made to meditate infront ofthe temple after passing that phase only than were allowed to enter the main temple for further teachings from the teacher.

What is shiva linga ?? Surrounding by the round yoni of goddess parvati?? its the origin of life. We pour water, milk , etc to cool the linga.. to reduce the heat and for peace…. sex is the part of life… and nothing is vulgar if taken positively and faithfully..lets enjoy.. the hindu.. thinking so forward before years and years ago….

This simply shows the sexual perversion that was justified in the name of religion by priests and kings, if its not pornography than what it is? Some body is saying that perception depends on the beholder. If it depends on the beholder than watch your sister or mother having sex with your “CLEAN and PURGED” perception.

Some of the most incredible works known to Mankind. Proof that humans can think and feel both the same and yet different from modern humans. We must not forget that we are products of our own times and that many of the ancients thought very differently about the meaning and “dirtiness” of sex in all of its forms . .

Sex is a necessity of life, every body is aware of this fact. But It must be in closed room in a private palce not in the market or in open place. if it is in private place with husband then of course it is a worship but if it is in open place with other than wife then this will create a generation like evil and it will destroy the structure of family and society. Therefore, only sex is not interesting in the sight of nature but you have to decide it should be with whom and at what situation. Any civilized society will not allow such images to be public and it will decrease the piety of indian culture. I should not be the way to promote the art. My knowledge and experience say that this type of sculpture could have been built (specially in India where culture and society has very strong root)under the huge pressure and would have very private palce. Thanks.

simply 2 say its AWESOME……..YA SEX is the thing that makes our eye brows to shrink in joy of heaven happiness..i think it is saying the lesson tat1 should b holyful r visionful even he is admired by the external desires……..like KKAAAMAAAAA……..
Very very intersting….i love all des positions……if i would b a sculpture..i would hav added some new………ha……..
no words to express d work of art……….xcellent….

While perhaps some may see this as romantic masonry art, my view is that the ancient worlds are in ruins today due to their very immoral carnal social lives. The display on supposed holy sites are evidence of the early madness. This is not holy and the site should not even be considered so.

Youth are exposed to this and therefore shouldn’t become a debate of ones perception, so to speak. The crux of the matter is, it is absolutely pornographic and carries no more than that message, period. Call me old fashion but hey! Look at the positions, the penetration, sexual activity with animals, and you decide if this is left for ones perception.

It is ancient ruins, around the world, and like these that should tell mankind that RELIGIONS, are a failure and especially the hierarchies within it that destroy the essence of it. Our definition of holy is absolutely distorted.

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